Ester Aparecida dos Santos
Ester Aparecida dos Santos (born 9 December 1982), commonly known mononymously as Ester, is a Brazilian association footballer. She has played as a "volante" (defensive midfielder) for clubs including Chelsea of the English FA WSL and BV Cloppenburg of the German Frauen-Bundesliga. Ester was part of the Brazil women's national football team who finished as runners-up in the 2007 World Cup and 2008 Summer Olympics.
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Ester Aparecida dos Santos | ||
Date of birth | 9 December 1982 | ||
Place of birth | Guarulhos, São Paulo | ||
Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 4 1⁄2 in) | ||
Playing position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Clube Atlético Juventus | |||
2001–2006 | Santos FC | ||
2007 | CEPE-Caxias | ||
2007–2011 | Santos FC | ||
2012 | WFC Rossiyanka | 8 | (0) |
2013 | Chelsea Ladies | 10 | (0) |
2013–2014 | BV Cloppenburg | 16 | (0) |
2015 | Kindermann | 3 | (0) |
2015 | São Paulo | ||
2016 | Vasco da Gama | ||
2016 | União (RN) | ||
2016 | Rio Branco (AC) | ||
2017 | Foz Cataratas | 14 | (0) |
2017 | CRESSPOM | ||
2018 | 3B da Amazônia | ||
2018 | São José | 4 | (0) |
National team | |||
2003–2012 | Brazil | 56 | (1) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Career
Ester began playing as a child in her neighbourhood near the São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport. She was signed for Clube Atlético Juventus after a trial, then moved on to Santos FC.[1]
In 2007 Ester played for CEPE-Caxias in Rio de Janeiro. She rejoined Santos in January 2008, following her successful season away.[2]
In the 2008 WPS International Draft, Ester was selected by Sky Blue FC alongside compatriot Rosana,[3] but did not join the team. Instead Ester found success in the Copa Libertadores Femenina with Santos in 2009 and 2010.[4]
Ester was part of a Brazilian contingent at Russian champions WFC Rossiyanka in 2012, playing in the UEFA Women's Champions League defeat to Turbine Potsdam.[5]
In 2013 Ester made a total of 10 FA WSL appearances for Chelsea, before departing for newly promoted Bundesliga club BV Cloppenburg in September 2013 with three games of the English season remaining. Chelsea manager Emma Hayes sold Sofia Jakobsson to the German team at the same time, saying: "We received an offer from Cloppenburg which we feIt was good business for the club."[6]
International
Ester was called up to the Brazil women's national football team in 2003.[1] She had been on the fringes of the squad, until winning her place in midfield during Brazil's 2007 Pan American Games campaign. She maintained her position as the team's defensive midfielder for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.[7]
Ester played in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup as well as the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.[8] At the beginning of the 2012 tournament in London, she had 56 caps and one goal for the national team.[9]
See also
- Foreign players in the FA WSL
References
- "Media Guide – London 2012 Olympic Games" (PDF). Brazilian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- "Capitã e volante da Seleção Brasileira são destaques entre contratações do Futebol Feminino" (in Portuguese). Santos Futebol Clube. 16 January 2008. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- Bell, Jack (24 September 2008). "In W.P.S., It's the Girls From Brazil". New York Times. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- "Detalhes do Jogador" (in Portuguese). Santos Futebol Clube. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- Kassouf, Jeff (2 May 2012). "Russian Nightmares: Four former WPS players leave clubs abroad following contract disputes". Equalizer Soccer. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- "Duo Depart For Germany". Chelsea Ladies FC. 5 September 2013. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- "Ester" (in Portuguese). UOL Esporte. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- "Ester Biography and Statistics". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- "Women's Olympic Football Tournament London 2012 – List of Players Brazil" (PDF). FIFA. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2013.